PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 165 



submerged. But being a good swimmer, instead 

 of ignominiously beating a retreat for the shore, 

 he made for the canoe to prevent it, if possible, 

 from passing down the rapids, to be there wrecked 

 upon the rocks. But " Lo, the poor Indian," hav- 

 ing either less courage or more discretion, made 

 for terra firma with masterly " neatness and dis- 

 patch." And, as the sequel proved, it was well 

 that he did, for as he was stoically watching the 

 canoe and its submerged but self-possessed navi- 

 gator, he saw the General's pocket-book gracefully 

 floating down stream, and succeeded in clutching 

 it. The fact that it was so light that it floated 

 should be universally received as conclusive of its 

 owner's official integrity. Indeed, but for this 

 incidental evidence of his "honest poverty," it 

 may be questioned whether he would have received 

 the high honor of a unanimous vote on the ques- 

 tion of his confirmation, for a second term, as Col- 

 lector of the Port of New York. No other mis- 

 chief resulted from this mishap than a thorough 

 ducking, except that the General's watch stopped 

 at the moment of the disaster, which was precisely 

 eight minutes to seven, on one of the loveliest 

 evenings of the year. 



Something which might have been more serious 

 occurred to myself while passing down one of the 

 most impetuous rapids on the river. My Indian 



